The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1887-07-08
BILL ARP,
The Country Philosopher.

The cook has quit again. Mrs.
Sicily Minis departed these coasts
Yesterday morning. We had cold
lunch tor dinner but we had a good
supper-so its all right and no loss
on our side. We save the cooks
board and her two chlldTen's board
aud her hire aud some breakage
and DOSAGE aud trettage. We will
try home rule awhile. 1t was d
cloudy morning this and | oversight
myself, and when | do, everybody
else does, and SO breakfast was late
and the children didn't get off to
school uutil the second bell had
rung aud they will be kept in at re-
cess tor being tardy, and so he sins
of the father will be visited upon
the children which looks hard, but
is according 10 scripture. | worked
late with them last hight untaug-
ling four unknown quantities into
equations and hunting all over
Bingham's Latin to find out the
lenses aud moods of the verbs we
had to translate. There are more
exceptions than rules and I've tor
gotten my Latin anyhow, and if it
wasn't tor those children | wouldn't
go to school another day. But they
need help aud encouragement, for
it is a strain upon their young minds
to grasp these ObstruSe things.
School will be out in two weeks, and
they are counting the days and lay
ing their plans for vacation. | am
the only boy at home now during
the day and have to bring water
and dig the potatoes, and pick the
beans aud fan up the stove and
water the horse, aud put he beds
out to sun, and be ready for any
thing that is pertinent or imperli-
nent. | hired a vagabond chunk
OF darkey and he stole a coat aud
vest aud run off to Acworth, aud
then | picked up another aud he
stole shirt and pair of earrings,
aud drew his wages and quit. We
never missed the things until he
had gone and his nanny strntted
around town with the earrings in
her ears. She gave them up gener-
ously but seemed to think she was
better than most niggers, "cos she
never hide 'em from nobody" She |
is one of the crack shOuters in the
church aud speHds her time in for
aging around and "sarvin' de Lord.'
They have 10 conscience about
these little pilferings, and it does |
look like they can't help it, and so
we have to put up with 1t aud get i
along. The chain gang does not |
punish, neither does it reform such
cases. A good whipping is "A better
remedy. But the best protection,
after all, is not TO have them around.
Let us do our own work if we can.
| like TO be waited on, that is fact,
but there is power of comfort in
waiting on yourself. 1t is better
for the children to be raised that
way. The town has tendency to
demoralize the children, anyhow.
There are so many shows and pic
MICS aud frolics going on and it takes
so mauy clothes aud so much wash
lug and iroHing-sO many visits to
nav and visits to receive, which is
right aud pleasant and social, bat
it don't leave very much time for
anything else, does it ! Aud, be-
sides. il seems to wean the children
from the parents. and they dou't
hang around us aud lean upon US
like they did in the country.
AN this is very natural and it is
sad. but / don't complain, for the
voang birds must quit the nest
sooner or later. In the country they
had the fields aud woods and mead
ovs and mountains, aud irOlicked
with them, aud we would be pick
lug huckleDerries right now if we
we're there, but the town is cramped
and so there must be some substi- /